Currently, known cotton harvesters equipped with either a conventional basket type cotton receiver or holding chamber, or newer on-board module builder systems, typically include an operator presence system. Such operator presence systems typically include a seat switch, which disables the functions of the cotton harvester's harvesting units under certain conditions, which typically include the transmission of the harvester being in neutral, the engine at idle, the parking brake engaged, and the operator leaving the seat for any reason. In some known systems, prior to leaving the cab, the operator can use a tether engage switch which will allow the operator to connect a connector cord of a remote tether control handle to an outlet on one of the cotton harvester's harvesting units, which connects the control handle to a drive mechanism of the harvesting units to allow the operator to slowly turn the harvesting units rotors by operating a control switch on the control handle. When the control switch is released, the harvesting unit's rotors will stop turning. This allows the operator to visually inspect each of the picking bars and spindles of the rotor or rotors on each of the harvesting units.
Cotton harvesters equipped with a conventional basket system typically have a cotton-holding chamber within the basket structure, into which chamber cotton is blown into during harvest. Such basket systems typically include an unloading door on the left side of the basket, which door forms the lower side of the cotton-holding chamber's left side wall when the door is closed. Also typically located within the cotton-holding chamber is a compactor structure having rotating augers, the compactor structure being capable of being pivoted downwardly to increase the holding chambers capacity by pressing down on the cotton inside the chamber and moving it rearward with the augers. When the cotton-holding chamber is full, the cotton will then be unloaded from within the holding chamber by vertically raising the basket, opening the side door to a horizontal position, and operating unloading chains on the floor and door for moving the cotton. The cotton is moved by the unloading chains horizontally from within the holding chamber onto the door, and falls off the end of the door into a receiver, which can be, for instance, a boll buggy or a stationary module builder. A stationary module builder is then operable for further processing the cotton before being transported to the cotton gin.
Cotton harvesters equipped with an on-board module builder system have a cotton module-forming chamber within the module builder structure into which cotton is blown into during harvest. The module builder will typically have a primary unloading door at the rear which, when in its closed position, forms the lower rear wall of the cotton module-forming chamber. Also within the module-forming chamber is a vertically moving compacting structure with rotating augers that is used to form the module of cotton within the chamber by distributing the cotton front to rear, and pressing the cotton down against the chamber floor to increase the cotton's density. Reference in this regard, Covington, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,682,417, issued Jan. 27, 2004.
When the cotton module-forming chamber has a completed cotton module, the module builder structure, as illustrated and explained in the above referenced Covington et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,682,417, is tilted about the rear of the cotton harvester while at the same time, the primary and secondary unloading doors are opened, so as to form at the top tilted position, a continuous surface from the cotton module-forming chamber's floor and the top surface of the primary and secondary doors to the ground at an angle of 15 to 20 degrees. The unloading chains for the cotton module-forming chamber and the primary and secondary doors are then engaged and the module is moved out of the cotton module-forming chamber over the primary and secondary doors and onto the ground as the machine is moved forward. The cotton module requires no further processing other than transport to the cotton gin.
On cotton harvesters equipped with either a conventional basket system, or a newer on-board module builder system, it is necessary to gain access to the interior of the cotton-holding chamber or the module-forming chamber for inspection, maintenance, or service. For example, during harvest, cotton that is blown into the interior of the cotton holding or the module-forming chamber will typically contain amounts of small leaf trash, some of which will separate from the cotton and settle into the corners, crevasses, and ledges of the interior. Some of this leaf trash does not leave the interior during the normal unloading of the cotton from the basket, or the module from the on-board module builder. Also, cotton that is blown into the interior of the cotton-holding chamber or the module-forming chamber can contain small cotton filaments commonly referred to as linters, that separate from the cotton and cling to the sides of the interior walls and roof or edges of the compactor apparatus within the chamber. Some of these linters will also remain in the chamber after the cotton is unloaded.
Some governments require that, as a disease protection measure, a cotton harvester be cleaned and fumigated prior to entering from another jurisdiction or area where it has harvested cotton. Seed companies have contracted with some cotton farms to grow certain varieties of cotton on test fields for research purposes or certain varieties for seed. When moving the cotton harvester from a normal variety field that has been harvested to a test or seed field, it is imperative to clean the machine, especially the interior of the cotton-holding chamber or module-forming chamber, prior to relocating so as not to introduce contaminates into the cotton from these fields. Cotton producers that practice good maintenance will clean the interior of the cotton-holding chamber or module-forming chamber on a daily basis. It is also recommended to periodically inspect or service the unloading chains, walls, floor, roof, and the compactor structure and its augers in the interior of the cotton-holding chamber or module-forming chamber.
For the above reasons, it is necessary from time to time to gain access to the interior of the cotton-holding chamber on a harvester equipped with a conventional basket system, and to the interior of the module-forming chamber on a cotton harvester equipped with the newer on-board cotton module builder system.
On some cotton harvesters equipped with a conventional basket system, there are two two-position switches located on an operator console within the operator cab, operable to put the basket in the unloading position. One of the switches, referred to as a basket raise/lower switch, is operable for raising the basket up to its unloading height, and to lower it to its harvest position. Another of the switches is a door open/close switch operable to open the door to its horizontal unloading position, and close the door to its harvest position. Each switch can be used independent of the other.
To gain access to the interior of the cotton-holding chamber on cotton harvesters equipped with a known conventional basket system, the operator can open the unloading door to its horizontal position by depressing the door open/close switch. Since the basket raise switch is not depressed, the basket will stay in its down position and the door will open outward to a horizontal position. Access to the interior of the cotton-holding chamber can be made from the ground using a utility ladder to climb and step onto the floor of the unloading door, or by stepping from the machine's service platform to a small platform on the front side of the unloading door and then onto the floor of the door. From the floor of the unloading door, the interior of the cotton-holding chamber can be accessed through the side opening made by the unloading door being in the open position. Inspection, maintenance, and service can then be performed from the interior of the cotton-holding chamber.
It should be noted here that on cotton harvesters with a conventional basket system, the compactor structure and its rotating augers can be cleaned, inspected, and serviced from its raised position. Since there is no need to pivot the compactor structure down, the operator can turn the machine off after the door is opened prior to accessing the interior of the cotton-holding chamber. There is no need to engage the operator presence system as long as the machine is turned off or engage the tether switch since the remote tether will not be used. After the work has been performed with in the interior of the cotton-holding chamber, the operator can return to the cab, start the machine, and close the unloading door.
On cotton harvesters equipped with the newer known on-board module builder system, such as illustrated and disclosed in the above referenced Covington et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,682,417, typically there is an unload/harvest switch on the operator console within the operator cab, that is a two-position detent switch that controls the activation or deactivation of certain functions on the module builder system depending on whether the switch is set to the unload mode or harvest mode. When this switch is set to the harvest mode, a module forming computer program that controls the module compactor structure and the distribution augers attached to it, is activated, and the module builder structure's tilt and rear unloading door opening sequence along with the unloading chains are deactivated and the switches for these functions, are disabled. When the unload/harvest switch is moved to the unload position, the module compactor structure with the augers will automatically move to its top position, the module builder structure's tilt and unloading door opening sequence is activated, and the unloading chains operated.
Problems in gaining access to the module-forming chamber encountered with the known on-board module builder systems include that to open the rear unloading doors without tilting the module builder structure, the module builder's tilt cylinder raise function must be disabled. Then, to lower the module compactor structure for accessing it, the operator must place the unload/harvest switch in harvest mode with the machine running. The operator must then quickly turn the machine off so that the compactor will stay in the lowered position. This procedure is a time consuming and cumbersome operation.
Thus what is sought is a simple and easy means of opening the doors of a cotton harvester equipped with an on-board module builder system without tilting the module builder structure so as to gain access to the interior of the module-forming chamber for inspection, maintenance, or service. What is also sought is a simple and easy means of lowering the module compactor structure when the primary unloading door is in its open position for inspection, maintenance, or service of apparatus thereof, including the auger drive and auger mounting mechanism of the compactor structure.